Shrapnel shell.



Patented Apr. I7, 1900.

/N VEN Ton,

W/ vwsssss Unirse 'ancres SHRAPNEL SHELL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 647,546, dated April. 17, 1900. Application led November 22, 1899. Serial No. 737,967. "N-i xnoelcln To (tit z/:tom it may concern'.-

lle it known that I, ALYA F. WARREN, a citizen of the United States, residing atProvidence, in the State of Rhode island, have invented a new and useful Improvement. in Shrapnel Shells, of which the following is a specification.

The nature of my invention consists in the improved construction and arrangement of the parts of the shell and in the construction olf the tiring mechanism, as I hereinafter set forth.

ln the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a central longitudinal section of a shrapncl shell embodying my improvement. Fig. i represents a cross-section taken at the line .a of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a crossseciion taken at the line l/ 'y of Fig. vl.

in the drawings, 2i represents the chambered body portion of the shell, to which the head 25, provided with the windage-band 1, is secured by means ot' the screw-thread 2S, and to the rear of the body vportion 24 is secured lie plug-piece 2B by means of the screwthread 2G, and to the plug-piece 23 is secured the end cap by means of the screw-thread 27. Nithin the chamber of thc head 25 are placed the numerous small balls e, and at the rear of the said balls placed a quantity of gnncotton 3, and back of the guncotton is placed the charge of powder 2, the tiringchamber being then closed by moans of the percussion firing-tube 5, in which the explosive cap 19 is held, the said liring-tnhe being held in proper position when the head 25 and the `body portion 24C are screwed together.

lVithin the chamber ot the body portion 2l is placed the liring-pin ti, to which is secured the weight?, and upon the shank ofthe firingpin is placed the spiral sprin'r 18, which serves t throw the tiring-pin forward to canse the explosion. rEhe liring-pin 6 is retained in its rearward position for disengagement by means of the block 8, which is held loosely in the chamber 3l ot' the body portion 2l, which chamber is made to coliform to the con tour ot the said block, with the exception of the opposite recesses 1t) and 29. v (Shown in the transverse section, Fig. The block is threaded to fit tho screw il, which is caused lo rotate hy means ot' the gear l'- ,sc -nrc l to the cud ol' thescrow, andthe gear 15, screwed to the windingshaft '17, the end 14 oi' which is squared to lit a suitable winding-key, and to the shaft 17 is secu red the convolute spring 11, which serves to impart a reverse rotary movement to thc winding-shaft. The end of the shaft 17 is covered by means of the screw plug 13, and the spring 1l. is held in its wound condition by means of thel locking-pin 1G, one end of which enters the space between the teeth of the gear and the other end projects slight-ly beyond the outer surface of tho shell, whereby when the shell is being lli-ed from the gun the locking-pin will be thrown out from between the gear-teeth as it leaves the cartridge, the said pin being forced into the opposite recesses 20 and 21, and upon the release el the gear 15 from the locking-pin 1li the unwinding action ot' the spring l1 will cause the rotation ot the screw il, which will canse ther backward movement of the block 8 and the engaged firing-pin against the. forward action of the spiral spring 1S until thc said block arrives at the'end of the screwthread and opposite the recesses l0 and 2f). (Shown in Fig.) 'lhcn the block S will beprovvented from further backward movement by the Unthreaded portion ol the screw-shalt and then be turned away from contact with the weight 7 and into the said recesses, as shown by the dottedlines in said Fig. il, thus allowing the spring 18 to throw the liring-pin forward to explode the cap 19 to ignite the charge ot' powder and kill the enemy.

The position of the block S on thoscrow 9 may be graduated for time explosion as dcsired. f

l claim as my inventionl. In a shrapnel shell, the combination ol" the percussion tiring-tubo, the spilling-actu` ated living-pin; the screw-shaft; tllc screwactuatcd block which engages with the liringpin the spring for actuating the screw-shalt; the gears; the locking-pin; and thc recess in the side of thc chamber of the body portion, into which the block is moved by the action of the springr upon thc arrival ol' the hloch atA tho end of Ihn screw-thread, substantially as described. l

2. ln a shrapncl shell the combination ol' the percussion liring-tnbe; the sprinf-actn- IOO ated firing-'pnbhe screw-shaft; the screw-l actuated block which engages with the rn gpin; the spring for actuating the screw-shaft; the squared Winding-shaft for the spring; the plug for protecting the end of the windingshaft; the gears; the looking-pin; and the recess in the side of the chamber'of the body portion into which the block is moved by the eforrof the spring upon the arrival of the block' at the end of the screw-thread, subzo stantially as described.

MNA F. WARREN.

Witnesses:

ALVIN O. WARREN, ANNIE E. WARREN. 

